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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. face — part of the head
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. track — a path
  7. spring — of water
  8. face — to confront
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cell — a phone
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. face — to point toward
  19. track — to keep track
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. firm — steady
  22. cell — in biology
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com